Nissan Sunny, LEAF and few CBU models coming this year

Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM), at a recent CNY lunch, announced that it will be introducing several new models this year. They are a B-segment sedan, a “few interesting CBU models” and the electric-powered Nissan LEAF. This comes after the Navara Single Cab and NV200 Vanette that was announced last weekend.

Asked to comment on the prospects of the automotive sector this year, here’s what ETCM’s executive director Datuk Dr Ang Bon Beng had to say: “2012 will not be a rosy year for the automotive sector. The first quarter remains challenging, because supply interruptions caused by the Thailand flood continue to persist. Apart from this, the stringent loan conditions for hire purchase of vehicles in Malaysia may affect our sales too. Moreover, consumers are cautious on the global economic outlook.

“The market will only pick up in the second half of the year, with MAA forecasting that TIV will grow 2.5% to hit 615,000 units this year. We are confident that Nissan sales volume will exceed industry growth with the introduction of new models in segments which Nissan is currently unrepresented.”

The B-segment sedan in question should be the Sunny, although it’s not certain if that household name will be reused (we were at the car’s world debut in China, click here for more), while the March and Juke could be on the CBU menu. As for the LEAF, it’s a pilot programme, not commercial sales.

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

The new Sunny (or Almera in SG) must be the uglist and most poorly built, equipped econobox evert to come out of Nissan in recent history. So horrible in fact that the Juke somehow looks better by comparision… :(

The Almera is so bad that only 2 were sold in SG since its intro late last year and Tan Cheong SG is desperate for sales for this POS and its hatch cousin, the equally POS March… from which the Almera was based on.

Seriously, when you park the Almera next to the Elantra and the Forte, can you honestly say Nissan build better cars than the Koreans?! :( Is there anything the Nissan offers that’s not available in the Elantra that you die die must buy from Nissan?

I dare say that the new Sunny/Almera should be compared to Potong instead of the Koreans and much less Europeans.

It’s amazing how much the Japs have degraded in the name of cost cutting. :(

I thought POS stands for point of sale. I’ve to re-read several times to understand that it’s …….. *faceplam*

Anyway, I thought dark interior will make it look better…. but based on the Almera’s images… it didn’t. *sigh*

I won’t say that the design is “bad” or “ugly” … I believe that people have their own taste/preference…. but for this Sunny, I totally don’t get it. At least I know that the Juke is being wacky… and it does look wacky … and some people (me included) like it.

But… but… this Sunny/Almera/Versa… it came out as wacky while trying to be “classy”.

Ah abang, you must visit SG more often la. :) In SG, POS can mean Point of Sale (aka cash register machine), or Piece of s**t…. :D Obviously I’m refering to the latter right? LOL

The trouble with this new Sunny is that it shouts CHEAP, CUT COST, BASIC everywhere you look. The whole car doesn’t give you the feeling that you’ll be getting a great deal for your $$… and here in SG, the Elmera is priced virtually the same as the top spec Elantra 1.6 GLS Elite… so it doesn’t make any sense at that…

And with such long rear overhangs (to create that so called big boot), it sure looks like a sagging butt supported by 2 tiny 15″ wheels… Yes the rear end do looked like its sagging when it is actually not. Visual impression is very impt for a car, and Nissan just about blew every aspect of it here in the name of cost cutting.

In Thailand where this Sunny is built, you can order the base 1.2L 3 cyln engine from the March if that modest 1.5L proved too exciting for you. Sigh… WTF is this…enuff said..

please grow up – your comments sound like someone who does not value the real quality of a car. Are you an engineer in the motoring field to make such comments? Can you design a better car than Nissan? Degradation of Japanese cars?? They are still the leader as far as reliability and value for money go.
What makes you say the Almera ( singapore market) is ” so bad” ?? the mature and informed motoring enthusiast does not look at first impressions alone – you can learn from Paul Tan’s commentaries! Fair and factual. You need to appreciate further than just cosmetics, while atheistic appeal is certainly a contributor to a car’s success it is not the main factor. Others such as reputation, reliability, value for money come first.

They should junk this new POS Sunny and the March and try again on a clean sheet of paper.. But wait, Nissan don’t have the $$ to do that these days.. And people won’t mind since there’s a N badge up front… :(

Note, our SE Asia Sunnies/Almera DOESN’T have rear seat aircon vents as shown in the China market Sunnies. And you can forget about getting rear discs brakes no matter how much you’re willing to pay for the car. Wheels are tiny 15″ only.. but frankly with that dugong-on-steriods kind of side profile, even 17″ wheels can’t make the car any better looking.

6 airbags? In your dreams people. Dual airbags is all you can get. And if you insist on a 5MT, you loose passenger side airbag as a punishment for spending on a lesser model..

Danny,if you noticed,in mudah.my there’s a brand new Nissan Elgrand 3.5 latest model for sale for RM384k,and the description said all the warranty will be under ETCM.Do you think it might be one of the CBU model ETCM will be bringing in??

And just for fun Nissan Leaf can complete the century sprint in only around 9 seconds…!! Around the same as Honda Civic 2.0L, faster than Lancer/Inspira 2.0L (CVT version). Faster than what I would expect…….
Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7SzVyMjBcM&feature=related

well, they bring back some nogistic sunny here again, i had my first sunny back in the 80’s, that time use to chase girls lah…very reliable car, workhorse n no major fault, cause not much technology inside. wonder wat changes now, if they bring in the new sunny. just curious lah. can’t n wun compare to my beemer…. totally different league

@Hyundai de la junk: I agree with u Nissan Sentra/ Sunny/Versa is quite huge in The State. Can easily tapao other manufacture. Do u ever wonder why?

I just have 1 question: Have u ever scroll down the US spec Nissan?

FYI the spec is jauh panggang dari api with what we get in our beloved land. Not to mention Tiida 1.8l hatchback manual, sunroof/ moonroof (cant remember) control swich at steereng wheel etc etc. There was also Sentra 2.0 on the market long time ago.

We know the Sunny/Versa is a good car when it comes to A-B transport, but your attitude or demonising the Koreans as if they have hurt you bad is really nauseating. Had a bad experience with one of their cars? Maybe, but your attitude here is really damn sickening to other readers here.

Trying to be another troll commenter here isit? Get a life please, or get yourself a lolly.\

Anyways, back to the Sunny/Versa thing, the main reason why people in the States buy it in droves is this:- It’s spacious, basic transport (which apparently has leg room as much as the mid-sized sedans on the market) which starts only at USD 11k. Now, it may be the basic model, but it still has the usual safety kit (airbags, ESP, the lot), except air-conditioning. And, for a few extra thousand dollars, we can get a better equipped one, which also includes satellite navigation!

Don’t believe? Drop by any Nissan showroom and see (or should I say, laugh:D) the POS for yourself the next time you visit SG.. :)

The dash is utterly utilitrian and the plastic used are hard, and rough to tough. Nissan kept saying the boot volume is big, but what good would that serve if the boot OPENING itself is small? ANd when you have such deep boot and a small opening, you may end up crawling into the boot just to retrieve some items at the far end.

Well its not a problem if you’re a pretty girl in short miniskirt la.. ^_^ :D But for us guys, it’s totally uncool and totally frustrating… :(

FYI, the Sunny/Almera doesn’t even have a central console armrest.. Some kind of luxury ya? And the Latio based 1.5L has been DETUNED for some reasons… and it still uses a 4AT…. no Nissan CVT box is offered…

the wise consumer does not buy the car just for the features you mentioned..you have to look at the whole car as a package.
people look at engine reliability and NIssan reputation for overall design. Dont forget Nissan is a global brand and this almera/ sunny/ versa is sold GLOBALLY from middle east to India, Asia and the Americas…now that certainly says something about the design effort. I’d rather drive a Nissan ( such as this almera/versa) than a proton simply coz i know, NIssan is a global brand that meets global market standards.
you go back to pre proton days – why you think Nissan cars were the leader?? Value for money, fuel economy, easy availability of cheap spare parts… until the govt came in with protectionist taxes for national car….

those who buy nissan cars from ETCM are old nyanyuk fools… there are better cars to choose from but i juz cant understand why they still pick for nissan ETCM… the Leaf is coming and i hope it can survive the tropical weather here since we always have floods around annually…

Frankly l rather prefer ETCM do not offer Ugly Sunny for our market. Better design car than inside out ugly Sunny needed. Just bring March and priced around Myvi or ten grand dearer at worst. RM70-80,000 March is suicidal since hybrid Prius Co$t Cutting mere RM97,000.

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